Competition needed

I was disappointed to read “Ace keeps airport parking contract” (Oct. 7) – talk about a monopoly! Everywhere you go, Ace Parking’s prices are unreasonable. It was time to get some competition to put a lid on these prices. The claim that Ace would profit no more than $10,000 over five years on a $32 million contract is ludicrous. If we believe that, we should buy the Brooklyn Bridge. -- Natalie Denton, San Diego

Petition volunteers deserve credit

The 145,027 signature count on the pension reform initiative broke all records (“Accusations fly over petition drive claims,” Oct. 5). Obviously, this could not have happened if there were not thousands of volunteers collecting signatures. We all witnessed these volunteers at our malls and in our neighborhoods. Debating whether Councilman Carl DeMaio underestimated the signature count on the pension reform seems a pointless argument and a slap at the heroes of democracy – the people. The issue will likely get on the ballot and we the people will get to decide.

Whether you are for or against this issue, I salute the volunteers who cared enough to take time out of their busy days to collect signatures both pro and con. This was a victory for democracy, and a blow to apathy. It was San Diego at its finest. I couldn’t be more proud of our city. -- Dennis Rogers, San Diego

Pot crackdown hailed

Kudos to San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy as well as the many community members who stood up to the big business that is the “medical marijuana” industry (“Feds targeting pot dispensaries,” Oct. 7). Marijuana stores or dispensaries are nothing but places for drug dealers masquerading as compassionate purveyors of medicine to peddle their drugs to our youth.

Our prosecutors saw through their smokescreen and heeded the call of neighborhoods across the state and right here in San Diego to get rid of these stores that are a scourge and blight on our neighborhoods and a real threat to the safety of our children.

Those who stood up did it at risk to their own personal safety and I applaud their dedication to our community. -- Lisa Silverman, La Jolla

Occupy feature on website appreciated

Thanks for including the “99% Protests” interactive feature on the U-T website (SignOn). The entire page is well-compiled, organized and informative.

It’s refreshing to see media treat this “Occupy” movement as much more than just a gathering of bored, angst-filled teenagers, as many of the mainstream news outlets have done. These people are educated, determined and patriotic. They care about the economic state of the country they live in and are trying to make sure it is going to be taken care of. They deserve the respect and fair treatment that the feature on the U-T website gave them. Thanks for using powerful images and concise summaries to capture the passion and purpose of this movement. -- Ben Levinson, Poway

Team should move

After the Chargers failed to sell out last Sunday’s home game, I have to voice my opinion on a new stadium: The Chargers should move out of San Diego County and never look back. If they don’t have enough fans to fill the Q, how can they expect the city and the taxpayers to pay for their new stadium?

I will vote no if the city attempts to float bonds to pay for a stadium or if the issue is put before voters another way.

The Chargers should not believe the voters will approve spending city money on a new stadium. This market cannot support this or any other football team. That became apparent when the game was blacked out due to not selling out the stadium.

Teams in wintry climates sell out their games, and we can’t sell out a game in 70-degree weather. The Chargers organization needs to start packing suitcases and stop dangling the carrot. The carrot started to rot years ago. -- Jay R. Farone, San Diego

A good history lesson

Many thanks to Anne Hoiberg and the Women’s Museum of California for retelling the story of the campaign to win the vote in 1911 (“Women’s suffrage: A victory for San Diego,” Opinion. Oct. 7) and for highlighting the contribution of San Diego women to the city’s growth and development.

Perhaps the article will inspire descendants of those first female voters to share with the Women’s Museum any photos, diaries, letters, etc., they might find among family papers. Documents demonstrating their eagerness to campaign and then to register and to vote would be a real contribution to our community’s history and a wonderful example to today’s citizenry. -- Rosalie Schwartz, San Diego